regulators

Chris Hoff, a former colleague now at Juniper Systems, and a great blogger in his own right, penned a piece last week about the weak underbelly of automation: our decreased opportunity to react manually to negative situations before they become a crisis. Hoff put the problem extremely well in the opening of the post:

I'm a huge proponent of automation. Taking rote processes from the hands of humans & leveraging machines of all types to enable higher agility, lower cost and increased efficacy is a wonderful thing.

However, there's a trade off; as automation matures and feedback loops … Read more

Editors' note: This is a guest column. See Berin Szoka's bio below.

Is there a better way forward on online privacy that straddles the divide between heavy-handed regulation and complete laissez-faire? Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has sketched out a potential "third way" to break the logjam.

Blackburn is kicking off a series of privacy roundtables to develop details of this approach, starting with one today in New York City. It's being hosted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau at their "Ad Lab" and brings together industry leaders to learn more about the state of technology … Read more

In light of yesterday's news that the Federal Trade Commission has officially launched an investigation into Google's business practices, it seems a good time to review the search giant's rich history in related antitrust matters.

The following is a timeline of some of some of the company's pivotal run-ins with trustbusters.

For its part, Google this morning acknowledged that it had received formal notification from the FTC about its probe and plans to work with the agency in coming months. But it stands by its principles and company mission and suggested the investigation is misguided.

The … Read more

A number of waves have led to tremendous wealth generation in the computing industry: microprocessors, PCs, desktop software, business software, networking, online search. But to get rich today, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has this advice: build a platform.

Speaking today at a panel discussion at the e-G8 Forum in Paris, Schmidt advocated the idea of creating a foundation on which others' software can run.

"The fastest path to wealth is the construction of these digital platforms," he said, in which a company becomes the center of activity and "where other people depend on you."

And … Read more

The wireless industry's trade group wants to put ratings on mobile apps to help parents keep inappropriate content out of their kids hands, but does a one-size ratings system fit all app stores?

The initiative (PDF), which was launched near the end of March by CTIA-The Wireless Association, calls for "voluntary self-certification of apps." The program is on track to be in place by the end of this year and seeks to have app-makers define the content within their creations based on a specific set of ratings and guidelines. The end result is a system the CTIA … Read more

The U.S. Justice Department is asking for more information as it takes a deep dive into its investigation of AT&T's proposed $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA, Bloomberg reported today.

According to two unnamed sources familiar with the situation, Bloomberg said that the Justice Department's antitrust division also sent "civil investigative demands," which are like subpoenas, to competitors of the two companies. The Justice Department is seeking more information on how the deal will affect other wireless businesses, Bloomberg reported.

Neither AT&T nor T-Mobile would comment on the story. And the … Read more

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules today at its monthly public meeting that will require wireless service providers, such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless, to negotiate wireless data roaming deals with competitors.

As expected, the FCC voted along party lines, with the three Democrats including Chairman Julius Genachowski voting in favor of the measure. Meanwhile, Republicans Robert McDowell and Meredith Atwell-Baker voted against the new rules, stating they don't believe the FCC has the authority or a reason to adopt such rules.

The new rules will require wireless operators that own their infrastructure and spectrum to &… Read more

The Federal Communications Commission may soon set new rules that could help ensure that your smartphone is able to access the Internet anywhere in the U.S. that wireless service is offered, even if your provider doesn't offer network coverage.

On Thursday the FCC will vote on new rules that would force wireless phone companies, such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless, which have the largest nationwide coverage, to offer roaming rates to competitors at "fair and reasonable rates."

The measure, which has the backing of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, is expected to be passed by … Read more

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said today he will look closely at AT&T's proposed deal to purchase T-Mobile USA for $39 billion.

Schneiderman's office released a statement assuring that it "will undertake a thorough review of AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile." He will analyze the merger for potential anticompetitive effects on consumers and businesses in the state, the statement read.

AT&T's proposed purchase of T-Mobile was announced a little more than a week ago and would combine the second-largest wireless operator with the fourth-largest operator. With T-Mobile's … Read more